Table-caster.



0. E. LEWIS.

TABLE CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1913.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 mum/Wow Clarence]; L ewis UNITE CLARENCE E. LEWIS, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

TABLE-CASTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table- Cast'crs, of which the following is a spec1fication.

My invention relates to improvements in appliances for adjusting the casters on light tables, as typewriter tables, writing stands and kindred tables so that they may be read ily changed from a free moving caster for moving the table to desired positions in a room, to locking the casters firmly in place to prevent the free movement of the table, and its objects are: first, to provide a means whereby the table may be raised from all four casters, or dropped firmly upon them simultaneously; second, to provide a means whereby the entire weight of the table will be brought to bear upon the periphery of the caster wheel for the purpose, first, of locking the table to place, and second, of removing all strain from the pintle of the caster, and, third, to provide a means whereby the simple movement of the actuating lever that raises the table oil of the rollers will carry the several parts of the device to positions where it will be impossible for the table to drop back upon the caster roller without the direct action of the operator. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is the lower end of a table leg, partly in section, to show the manner of applying and operating my device. Flg. 2 is an elevation of the lower ends of two legs of a table with my device attached with all connecting elements shown, and Fig. 3 is a like view looking at Fig. 2 from the left hand side, and with the supporting girt removed to disclose the position of the shaft upon which the actuating levers are mounted.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents an ordinary table leg of the class used on typewriter and other tables to which my invention is applicable, and B represents the supporting girts or rungs for rigidly supporting the lower ends of the legs. My invention consists in the manner of attaching and operating the casters J --K SO they may be readily locked in place, or

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1913.

Patented N (W. 3, 1914. Serial No. 786,591.

be as readily made available for moving the table about the room or office as desired.

It is to be understood that the table legs are made of metal tubing and to properly apply my invention I make a bell shaped cup I, of metal, with a body I that is of a proper size to fit closely in the lower end of the leg, and is provided with an opening tliirough it lengthwise for the reception and free longitudinal movement of the caster case M inwhich the caster pintle J is supported to turn freely for the free and successful working of the caster when moving the table from place to place. I form arms or lugs, H, upon one side of, and integral with each cup to which is pivoted one end of a lever G, as at h. This lever has an integral arm G that is made to pass through a mortise a in the side of the leg just above the upper end of the caster case so that the end of this arm will rest upon the top of the case, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that any "vertical movement of the free end of the lever G will cause the end G to act upon the end of the caster case M to force it downward, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, or is allowed to slide upward in its bearing in the leg, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus, when the castors are in normal condition upon a firm foundation, raising and lowering the table itself.

The levers G- are made long enough to pass the center line a: a: and are 'n'ovided with slots 5 designed for the receiving, and moving freely on the pivotal hearing f at the lower end of the connecting rod F so that when said connecting rod raised or lowered the ends of the levers will be cor respondingly raised or lowered, as indi-- cated by their dotted and solid lines in Fig. 2, thus when the levers G G are held to the position indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 2 the table is raised upward so that the castors are free to act normally when it is desired to move the table from one position to another in a room, and when the levers are forced downward to the position indicated by their dotted lines in Fig. 2 the table will be lowered so that the rim of the cups I will rest upon the upper edge of the wheels K and the entire weight of the table and its load, will be supported directly upon the wheels, thus locking the wheels so firmly as to render it impossible to move the table in the usual manner, and at the same time all strain is removed from the pintles- J and the frames J of the'caster.

I provide for actuating the levers G G'by pivotally supporting a shaft C at each end in the rungs B B of the chair frame, and mounting angle levers DE thereon. lhe arms E of these angle levers are pivotally connected with the upper ends of the connecting rods F F and are so positioned, relative to the arms D of this lever, that when the handles (Z, that project at right angles from the free ends of the levers, are in the position indicated in Fig. 2 the pivot point i between the arms E and the connecting rods F will be far enough beyond the center line a: w of the shaft C to render it impo'ssi ble for the Weight of the table and its load upon the levers GG' to release the said levers and allow the table to drop down upon the rollers, as hereinbefore described, Without the direct action of the operator, but when the arm D of the lever DE has been thrown over to the position indicated by its dotted lines in Fig. 2 the entire Weight of the table is removed from the arms G of the levers G, and the top of the caster cases M, to the Wheels themselves, as hereinbefore described, it being understood that the raising of the free end of the levers G causes the arms G to press downward heavily on the caster cases M, and draw up forcibly upon the lugs H so that the entire Weight of the table is supported by'the levers and the casters independent of any other connectionbetween the legs and the floor.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,is:

In combination with a table leg and caster, and an inverted cup having a body extending up into the leg and having a central longitudinal aperture through it, a caster case slidingly mounted in said aperture, and a lever connected with the cup and adapted to raise and lower the table on the caster by passing through the side of the table legs and acting on the upper end of the sliding. caster case, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids Michigan August CLARENCE E. LEWIS. In presence of- Joenrn REMHAN, l. J. CILLEY. 

